Underwater remotely operated vehicle

ABSTRACT

A remotely operated underwater vehicle system includes a hull having a front end and a tail positioned to the rear of the front end. The remotely operated underwater vehicle may include a first and second side thrust module configured to drive the vehicle in forward and reverse directions and removably connected to the hull, and a rear thrust module configured to drive the tail up and down and removably connected to the tail. The vehicle may include a tether and buoy to facilitate communication with a remote input device. A power source, such as a battery, may be positioned in the hull to power the vehicle and the buoy. The buoy may house a communication source configured to communicate with the input device. The tether is configured to transfer power and communication signals from the buoy to the hull. The buoy may float on a water surface to relay communication between the input device and the hull.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/352,105 filed on Jun. 20, 2016 and entitled UNDERWATER REMOTELYOPERATED VEHICLE, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of marinetechnology, specifically small, observation-class remotely operatedvehicles.

BACKGROUND

Remotely controlled vehicles and devices are commonly used forrecreational, observational, and other purposes. While remote controlland vehicles have been designed and used for years, recently there hasbeen an increase in interest and demand for remotely controlled air andunderwater vehicles. Each of these types of vehicles have unique designchallenges.

During the design phase of underwater remotely operated vehicles, it iscurrently the industry standard to overlook hydrodynamic efficiency inexchange for robustness, reliability, and simplicity. The design ofthese vehicles are often characterized by a square chassis withthrusters attached at strategic points to achieve sufficient control ofthe yaw axis, forward and reverse functions, as well as depth control.However, this design lacks in hydrodynamic efficiency and fails toreduce drag and power consumption.

Moreover, the propulsion and steering designs of most current underwaterremotely controlled vehicles are lacking in several areas. There are twocommonly used methods of underwater propulsion and steering currently inuse for underwater remote operated vehicles. The first is a threethruster configuration in which one thruster is positioned vertically tocontrol the device's depth, while the remaining two are positionedhorizontally to control the yaw axis, as well as forward and reversefunctions. Each thruster consists of a brushless-type electric motor,motor shaft adapter, propeller, and propeller shroud. This configurationaffords the vehicle fine-tuned control, allowing yaw and depth controlwithout the need for forward motion.

The second configuration consists of a single thruster positioned at therear of the vehicle for forward and reverse control, while usingmotor-actuated external fins to control yaw, roll, and pitch. Thissystem affords the vehicle intuitive control and lower cost due to theelimination of two thrusters, however, tight-space control is lost dueto the need for forward motion to achieve yaw, pitch, and roll control.In some cases, active ballast is used to control the vehicle's depth.

Accordingly, an underwater remotely controlled vehicle is needed.

SUMMARY

A remotely operated underwater vehicle system is generally presented.The underwater vehicle system includes a hull having a front end and atail positioned to the rear of the front end. A first side thrust moduleconnected to a first side of the hull and a second side thrust moduleconnected to a second side of the hull. The first and second side thrustmodules are configured to drive the hull in a forward or reversedirection with respect to the front end and the tail. A rear thrustmodule is connected to the tail of the hull. The rear thrust moduleconfigured to drive the tail in an upward or downward direction,approximately perpendicular to the forward and reverse directions of thefirst and second side thrusters.

In an embodiment, the first and second side thrust modules may beremovably connected to the hull. The rear thrust module may further beremovably connected to the hull. The thrust modules may include areceptacle configured to engage a similar pin or screw configuration onthe hull to connect the thrust module and relay power and communicationsignals from the hull to the thrust modules.

The remotely operated underwater vehicle system may be configured tocommunicate with a remote input device. In an embodiment, the underwatervehicle system may include a tether interconnecting the hull and a buoy.The buoy may include a power source configured to provide power to theunderwater vehicle system and a communication source configured tocommunicate with the input device. The tether is configured to transferpower and communication signals from the buoy to the hull. The buoy mayfloat on a water surface to relay communication between the input deviceand the hull.

In an embodiment, the underwater vehicle system may include a camerapositioned in the hull. The camera may be positioned to capture imagesexterior to the hull. The image data may be transferred to the buoy byway of the tether and may be relayed to from the buoy to the inputdevice using a remote communication network, such as Wi-Fi, cellularnetwork, or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The operation of the invention may be better understood by reference tothe detailed description taken in connection with the followingillustrations, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view an underwater remotely operatedvehicle system;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an underwater remotely operatedvehicle;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top assembly view of an underwater remotelyoperated vehicle;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of an underwater remotely operatedvehicle;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of an underwater remotely operatedvehicle;

FIG. 6: illustrates a bottom view of an underwater remotely operatedvehicle;

FIG. 7 a side cutaway view of an underwater remotely operated vehicle;

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a side thrust module; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of a rear thrust module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand structural and functional changes may be made without departing fromthe respective scope of the invention. Moreover, features of the variousembodiments may be combined or altered without departing from the scopeof the invention. As such, the following description is presented by wayof illustration only and should not limit in any way the variousalternatives and modifications that may be made to the illustratedembodiments and still be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

An underwater remotely operated vehicle system (“ROV system”) 10 isgenerally presented. The ROV system 10 is configured to allow a user tocontrol movement of a remotely operated vehicle (“ROV”) 12 while the ROV12 is underwater. The underwater ROV 12 is designed to provide uniquemodularity that allows for customization for specific applications, asdescribed further below. The features of the vehicle set forth hereinprovide various additional benefits, including optimizing hydrodynamicefficiency and reducing power requirements, decreasing the drag profile,and increasing strength and stability, as well as other added benefits.

FIG. 1 illustrates an ROV system 10. The ROV system generally comprisesthe ROV 12, a buoy 14, and a tether 16 connected the buoy 14 and the ROV12. When placed in water, the buoy 14 is designed to float atop thewater surface while the ROV is controlled to move beneath the watersurface.

The buoy 14 may be linked to an input device (not shown). The inputdevice may be any appropriate device configured to provide input andcontrol information, such as speed and direction information, to the ROV12. In an embodiment, the buoy 14 may be configured to receive awireless signal, such as a Wi-Fi signal, from the input device, such asa mobile hand held device. It will be appreciated, however, that theremote communication between the buoy 14 and the input device may be anyappropriate type of wireless communication, including Bluetooth,cellular communication, and the like. The buoy 14 may float in the waterand receive the input signal remotely from the input device. It will beappreciated, however, that the buoy 14 may alternatively receive a hardwired signal from the input device.

The buoy 14 may be configured to relay the signal from the input device,such as speed and direction information, to the ROV 12. As shown in FIG.1, the buoy may connect to the ROV 12 by way of a tether 16. The tether16 provides a wired connection between the buoy 14 and the ROV 12. Thetether 16 may include at least a power, transmit, and receive wires toprovide two-way communication between the ROV 12 and the buoy 14.Further, the tether 16 may optionally include a dedicated wire fortransmitting video information from the ROV 12 to the buoy 14, and adedicated wire for transmitting power to a controller module, describedin further detail below. Alternatively, the tether may include a singletwo way communication link, such as an Ethernet connection or the like,between the buoy 14 and the ROV 12. The tether 16 may be any appropriatelength, such as 100 feet.

FIGS. 2-9 illustrate the ROV 12 and various components thereof. The ROV12 generally comprises a main body or hull 20. The hull 20 may be formedof any appropriate material, such as ABS plastic or the like. The hull20 may comprise a generally hollow enclosure surrounding a volume. Theouter surface of the hull 20 may be sealed to prevent water fromentering the internal volume. In an embodiment, the hull 20 may have atwo-piece clamshell design, comprising a top portion and a lowerportion. The top portion and lower portions may connect together and besealed to form the hull 20.

The hull 20 have any appropriate shape. In an embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 2-7, the hull may comprise a front portion 22 and a rear tailportion 24. The front portion 22 may have a first width that is greaterthan the width of the tail portion 24. Further, the hull 20 may includea teardrop-shaped side profile, as shown in the side views in FIGS. 5and 7. The height at the end of the front portion 22 and the end of thetail portion 24 may each be tapered to form the teardrop shape. Thisshape may provide a beneficial hydrodynamic design to decrease drag andresistance and thus increase power efficiency.

A tether seal cavity 26 may be positioned near the top of the hull, asshown in FIG. 2. The tether seal cavity may comprise an opening to allowthe tether to pass through the hull 20 and into the interior volume ofthe hull 20 to access internal components. The seal cavity 26 may besealed using marine grade epoxy, or the like, to prevent water fromentering through the opening.

The ROV 12 may include a modular design to allow for customization, easeof part replacement, and improved storage. Specifically, the ROV 12includes a plurality of removable thrust modules, including side thrustmodules 30 and a rear thrust module 32. The thrust modules may beconnectable to and removable from the hull 20, as described in furtherdetail below.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a side thrust module 30. The ROV 12may include a side thrust module 30 located on each side of the hull 20.The side thrust module 30 includes a motor 34, propeller 36, stabilizer38, and pin connector 40. The motor 34 may be any appropriate motor,such as a brushless motor, that is capable of functioning underwater.The motor 34 may drive a propeller 36 which in turn drives the ROV 12 ina forward or reverse direction. The propeller 36 may receive a signal,via the pin connector 40, to drive the motor 34 in a desired directionat a desired speed.

The stabilizer 38 may comprise a flat member or fin connected to or nearto the motor housing of the side thrust module 30. The stabilizer 38 mayassist in stabilizing the ROV 12 and helping to drive through the water.The stabilizer 38 may be any appropriate size and shape as needed for agiven application. The stabilizer 38 may be removable and replaceablewith different designs of stabilizers or fins, based on the desired useor application.

The pin connector 40 may be any appropriate pin connector, such as athree-pin connector having two pins for providing power and a third pinfor providing a signal to the motor. The power pins may provide plus (+)and minus (−) DC voltage power to the motor from the hull 20. The signalpin may provide the appropriate signal, such as a pulse-width modulated(“PWM”) signal, to drive the motor in the desired direction at thedesired speed. The pin connector may interface with a similarly shapedpin receptacle 42 in the hull 20. The pin receptacle 42 may receive thepins therein and hold the side thrust module 30 in place. It will beappreciated that the pins may comprise any appropriate electricalconductors, including screws or other connectors that may act aselectrical conductors.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a rear thrust module 32. The ROV 12may include a rear thrust module 32 connected to its tail portion 24.The rear thrust module 32 includes a motor 44, propeller 46, and pinconnector 50. As with the side thrust module 30, the rear thrust modulemotor 44 may be a brushless motor configured to drive the propeller 46to in turn drive the tail portion 24 up or down. This movement of thetail 24 will articulate the nose or front of the ROV 12 in the oppositedirection to allow the ROV 12 to either dive down deeper into the wateror move up toward the surface of the water.

As with the side thrust module 30, the pin connector 50 may be anyappropriate pin connector, such as a three-pin connector having two pinsfor providing power and a third pin for providing a signal to the motor.The power pins may provide plus (+) and minus (−) DC voltage power tothe motor from the hull 20. The signal pin may provide the appropriatesignal, such as a pulse-width modulated (“PWM”) signal, to drive themotor in the desired direction at the desired speed. The pin connectormay interface with a similarly shaped pin receptacle 52 in the tailsection 24 of the hull 20. The pin receptacle 52 may receive the pinstherein and hold the rear thrust module 32 in place.

The design of the removable side and rear thrust modules 30, 32 offersnumerous benefits over similar products. First, the modular designallows the ROV 12 to be customized for specific applications. Forexample, side thrust modules 30 with higher powered motors may be addedfor applications that would require greater speed, and differentlyshaped stabilizers 38 can be used as necessary. A second benefit of themodular design is the ability to store and collapse the ROV when not inuse. As shown in FIG. 3, the side and rear thrust modules 30, 32 may beremoved to reduce the overall footprint of the unit, making it easier totransport. The modular design further assists with part replacement andrepair, as thrust modules 30, 32 may be removed and replaced withoutdisturbing the hull 20 or any of its internal components.

It will be appreciated that the pin connector design of the side andrear thrust modules also offers a benefit over other configurations inthe art. Other underwater devices often employ cabling that is run froman external motor to an internal volume through a pass through in thebody of the vehicle. The drawback with this type of design is that whilethe pass-through may be sealed to be water tight, the wire insulationmay absorb water though its jacket, especially at high water pressures.The water may then seep through the pass-through within the jacket, andinto the vehicle. By contrast, the current pin connector design allowsthe receptacles to be completely sealed. The pins are then able toengage the receptacles without the threat of water passing through theminto the interior of the hull 20.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, the hull 20 may include a mounting rail 54. Themounting rail 54 may be configured to receive an attachment device, suchas a light, camera, or other device, thereon. The mounting rail 54 maybe positioned at any appropriate location on the hull 20, such as on thebottom of the hull 20, as shown in the FIGS. The mounting rail 54 may bePicatinny rail or any similar style rail for removably connectingmodular devices. In an embodiment, the hull 20 may include a connectionport (not shown) for connecting a modular device on the mounting rail 54to internal power or signals within the ROV 12.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cutaway view of the ROV 12 showing the componentsand structure within the hull 20. In an embodiment, the hull 20 includesinterior support structures 56. The interior support structures may bemade of any appropriate material, such as aluminum, and may extend fromthe floor of the hull 20 to its ceiling. The support structures 56 mayact as an internal skeleton for the hull 20 to reinforce againstexternal compressive loads, such as water pressure at given depths. Thesupport structures 56 may be interconnected by one or more mountingplates 58. The mounting plates 58 may stabilize the support structures56 while also providing internal shelves for mounting components withinthe hull 20, as shown in FIG. 7.

The mounting plates 58 may house various internal components within theROV 12. For example, speed control units and a battery charging circuitmay be connected to the mounting plates 58. Further, a control board 60may be mounted to a mounting plate 58. The control board 60 may act asthe controller for the ROV. The control board 60 may receive input datafrom the buoy 14 and convert output signals to the side thrust modules30 and rear thrust module 32.

The hull 20 may further house a camera 62 and lights 64. The camera 62may be positioned near the front of the hull 20 and faced toward awindow 66. The window 66 may comprise a translucent opening formed ofany appropriate material, such as acrylic, and sealed with the body ofthe hull 20. The camera 62 may be configured to collect photo and videodata and transmit that data up to the buoy 14 via the tether 16. Thelights 64 may comprise LED lights positioned on or near the front of thehull 20 and facing in the same direction as the camera 62 to illuminatethe photo/video target area. The lights 64 may have variable intensityto provide greater lighting when desired.

A battery 68 may be located in the tail section 24 of the hull 20. Thebattery 68 may be any appropriate type of battery, such as a lithiumpolymer battery. The battery 68 may charge through the tether whenconnected to an upstream power source. The battery 68 may then power theinternal components of the ROV 12.

In use, a user may connect an input device to the buoy 14. The inputdevice may be connected to the buoy through a wired connection or may bewirelessly connected to the buoy 14, such as through a mobile device.The user may input instructions, such as speed and/or directioninstructions, into the input device. The device then relays theinstructions to the buoy 14, which sends them to the control board 60through the tether 16. The control board translates the inputinstructions into power and direction commands for each of the threemotors, namely the first and second side thrust motors 34 and the rearthrust motor 44. The side thrust modules 30 then propel the ROV 12 in aforward or rear direction, or turn the ROV 12 side to side. The rearthrust module 32 articulates the nose of the ROV 12 up or down to drivethe ROV deeper into the water or toward the water surface.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been illustratedin the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detaileddescription, it is to be understood that the present invention is not tobe limited to just the embodiments disclosed, but that the inventiondescribed herein is capable of numerous rearrangements, modificationsand substitutions without departing from the scope of the claimshereafter. The claims as follows are intended to include allmodifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope ofthe claims or the equivalent thereof.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:
 1. A remotely operatedunderwater vehicle system comprising: a hull including a front end and atail positioned to the rear of the front end; a first side thrust moduleconnected to a first side of the hull, the first side thrust moduleconfigured to drive the hull in a forward or reverse direction; a secondside thrust module connected to a second side of the hull, the firstside thrust module configured to drive the hull in a forward or reversedirection; a rear thrust module connected to the tail of the hull, therear thrust module configured to drive the tail in an upward or downwarddirection, approximately perpendicular to the direction of the first andsecond side thrusters.
 2. The remotely operated underwater vehiclesystem of claim 1, wherein the first and second side thrust modules areremovably connected to the hull.
 3. The remotely operated underwatervehicle system of claim 2, wherein the removable first side thrustmodule includes a multi-pin receptacle configured to engage pins on thehull to transfer power and control signals from the hull to the sidethrust module.
 4. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system ofclaim 1, wherein the rear thrust module is removably connected from thehull.
 5. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 1,wherein the first side thrust module comprises a motor, a propeller, anda stabilizing fin.
 6. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system ofclaim 5, wherein the stabilizing fin is interchangeable to selectivelyconnect a desired fin shape and size to the side thrust module.
 7. Theremotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the hullincludes a tapered shape having a greatest height between the front endand the tail.
 8. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system ofclaim 1 further comprising a camera positioned within the hull anddirected to capture images exterior to the hull.
 9. A remotely operatedunderwater vehicle system comprising: a body comprising: a hull having afront end and a tail; a first side thrust module connected to the hull,wherein the first side thrust module is configured to drive theunderwater vehicle in a forward or reverse direction; and a rear thrustmodule connected to the tail and configured to drive the tail in adirection approximately perpendicular to the forward and reversedirection; a tether having a first end and a second end, the first endof the tether connected to the hull; a buoy connected to the second endof the tether, the buoy including a communication source configured tocommunicate with an input device; and wherein the tether is configuredto transfer communication signals between the buoy to the body.
 10. Theremotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the buoyis configured to remotely communicate with an input device.
 11. Theremotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 10, wherein buoy isconfigured to communicate with the input device using Wi-Ficommunication.
 12. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system ofclaim 10, wherein the buoy is configured to receive directional driveinformation from the input device and relay the same to the body. 13.The remotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 10, wherein thebody further comprises a camera positioned within the hull and directedto capture images exterior to the hull.
 14. The remotely operatedunderwater vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the buoy is configured toreceive video data from the camera and relay the video data to the inputdevice over the


15. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 9, whereinthe first and second side thrust modules are removably connected to thehull.
 16. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 15,wherein the removable first side thrust module includes a multi-pinreceptacle configured to engage pins on the hull to transfer power andcontrol signals from the hull to the side thrust module.
 17. Theremotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the rearthrust module is removably connected from the hull.
 18. The remotelyoperated underwater vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the hull includesa tapered shape having a greatest height between the front end and thetail.
 19. The remotely operated underwater vehicle system of claim 9further comprising a power source located in the body.